Numerous portable electronic devices are well known, a most basic of these being modern cellular telephones. Recent advancements in wireless communication technologies have spawned newer generation hybrid computer phones, such as Blackberry™ and iPhone™. These modern hybrid computer phones, and modern cellular telephones generally, tend to be relatively flat and are sometimes marketed as being “slim”. There is also now a market push for relatively flat computers, such as the iPad™. What these telephones, computer phones, and computers share in common is that they can be generically referred to as portable electronic devices.
There is also a market push for carrying cases for these portable electronic devices. These cases tend to be both inwardly and outwardly shaped similar to the device they are meant to carry, and are often made of a hard plastic. These cases are typically for protection against damage when the device is accidentally dropped. These cases also often come with a detachable holster, to holster the case and device to pants, belts, purses, and the like. When detached from its holster, these cases are carried in hand, and subject to accidental dropping. For larger computers and computerized tablets (like an iPad™), a holster device is impractical and the computer (and its case) are typically carried under-arm. When so carried or handled, these devices are prone to be dropped and damaged.
Another market trend in these portable devices is that they now offer screen displays and keyboards that can alternate between a relatively vertical and relatively horizontal configuration. For example, a modern cellular telephone might be held vertically upright in a traditional position where a user can dial a phone number (using a standard numeric keyboard arrangement), and thereafter be moved into a horizontal position to type a text message (using a standard “qwerty” keyboard). “Smart” technology enables devices such as the iPhone™ to automatically reposition its display screen once a user shifts the phone from a vertical to a horizontal position (or vice-versa). These shifts require the user moving his hand from one position to another, and sometimes results in grip loss, with the device and case subsequently falling to the ground.